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Death of Chanel Petro-Nixon

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Chanel Petro-Nixon was an American teenager who was strangled to death in Brooklyn, New York, United States in 2006. In 2016, Veron Primus was charged with the murder.

Chanel Petro-Nixon
BornAugust 4, 1989
DiedJune 18, 2006 (age 16)
Brooklyn, New York, US
Cause of deathHomicide by strangulation
Body discoveredJune 22, 2006
NationalityAmerican
Known forbeing a missing person and murder victim
Parents
  • Anthony Garvin (father)
  • Lucita Nixon (mother)

Life

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Chanel Petro-Nixon was born in mid-1989 and lived in the Bedford Stuyvesant section of Brooklyn, New York, with her father Anthony Garvin, her mother Lucita Nixon, and her brothers Marcus and Giovanni. She was a member of the Mt. of Olives Seventh-day Adventist Church on Bushwick Avenue and was considered devout by her family based on her church and prayer attendance. She was also an 11th grader at Boys and Girls High School, and was known as a straight-A student who spent her after-school hours in the library. According to Nancy Grace of CNN, "She wanted to become a nurse to help other people".[citation needed]

Death

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On Sunday, June 18, 2006, Petro-Nixon left her family's home, telling them she was walking to the Applebee's restaurant near New York Avenue and Fulton Street, to meet a friend. She never returned home.

Four days later, her body was discovered in a trash bag in front of 212 Kingston Avenue. It was determined that Petro-Nixon had been strangled.[1] Petro-Nixon was buried at Rosedale and Rosehill Cemetery, located in Linden, New Jersey.[2]

Reaction

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Following his daughter's murder, Anthony Garvin was quoted as saying: "I don't trust anybody [...] That person shaking your hand, smiling in your face, could be the one who did this."[3] Petro-Nixon's mother, Lucita, took a different viewpoint stating, "I won't let anger poison me".[3] A teenage friend of Petro-Nixon's said: "She would never do anything wrong." The friend also said the two had read The Da Vinci Code together and that Petro-Nixon was a good student: "She had good grades. I would call her the 'little nerd.'"[4]

Petro-Nixon's parents made a plea to the public requesting help finding her killer. They also visited the site where she was found.[5]

On July 7, 2006, the Brooklyn Branch of the N.A.A.C.P. sent a letter to Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly requesting a meeting. The letter mentioned "increasing rates of crime", "inadequate police response", and the murder of Petro-Nixon.[6]

Investigation

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Police quickly appealed to the public for information, offering an initial reward of $12,000 for useful information.[7]

At a later date, the reward amount was increased, ultimately reaching $38,000.[8] The fund represents contributions by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, The New York Daily News, The Reverend Al Sharpton, and the New York City Police Department. No one has claimed the reward.

The New York City Police Department interviewed all of Petro-Nixon's friends and collected hundreds of tips.

An article in the New York Daily News focused on Petro-Nixon's white sneakers, with the hope that someone would have recognized her shoes.[9]

Cops hope a photo of 16-year-old Chanel Petro-Nixon's white and pink retro jordan sneakers will jog a witness' memory and help investigators track down the Brooklyn girl's killer.[9]

David Stein, head of the detective squad working the case, was quoted as saying, "You see a case like this maybe once in a career."[10]

Arrest

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In June 2016, Brooklyn District Attorney Kenneth Thompson announced that former Crown Heights resident Veron Primus had been formally charged with Petro-Nixon's murder. Primus had been a school friend of Petro-Nixon's and it was later found that he was the friend she was meeting at Applebee's on the day she disappeared. It was reported that he was considered a suspect from day one, but there had not been enough evidence to lead to an arrest.

Some years after Petro-Nixon's murder, Primus had also served time in prison for violating a restraining order and was deported to St. Vincent and the Grenadines, following his release. In 2016, while in St. Vincent, he became a suspect in the abduction of one woman and the murder of another. While investigating these crimes, St. Vincent authorities found new evidence linking Primus to Petro-Nixon's murder. They contacted New York investigators, who traveled to the island and were then able to issue an indictment.

As of 2024, Primus is imprisoned in St. Vincent, where he was convicted and sentenced to 34 years imprisonment for the unrelated murder of a 33-year-old estate agent named Sharleen Greaves.[11] Thompson stated that he wished for Primus to be returned to the United States and stand trial for Petro-Nixon's murder.[12]

Aftermath

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Murder statistics compiled by the NYPD and obtained by the New York Daily News mentioned Petro-Nixon.[13] Another murder which occurred on the same day as Petro-Nixon's was mentioned, and there was speculation that both murders may be related.[14] New York Daily News columnist Errol Louis, who tried to keep the story 'alive' in the press,[15] reported that there was an upward spike in murder in Crown Heights by 122%, and that community meetings were being held by Assemblyman Karim Camara.[16] Petro-Nixon's mother was quoted in a New York Times story, related to the case: "We try our best to keep it alive." And, "We really don't want her death to be in vain".[17]

In January 2007, CNN aired a video featuring Nancy Grace discussing unsolved murders, including Petro-Nixon's.[18]

As of 24 June 2007, the case had still not been solved. There were no witnesses known to have seen Petro-Nixon murdered, nor had any suspects been identified.[19] The Reverend Al Sharpton joined with the television show, America's Most Wanted, in trying to solve the mystery of her murder and used strong language directed to the Black community in presenting the case of Petro-Nixon's murder.[20][21]

Petro-Nixon's mother, Lucita, had been scheduled to receive a "survivor's" award in January 2008.[22] More than two years had passed and there had been no further revelations in Petro-Nixon's murder.

On June 19, 2010, a rally, march, and prayer vigil were held in honor of Petro-Nixon. The blog site mentioning this rally also stated that as of that late date no further evidence of her murder had been provided.[23]

A website was created in memory of Petro-Nixon as well as to reach out to the public to obtain information or help in locating her murderer.[24]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Unknown Chanel Petro-Nixon Killer". America's Most Wanted. June 18, 2006. Archived from the original on October 25, 2012. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  2. ^ Our Time Press
  3. ^ a b Peyser, Andrea (June 18, 2007). "Year Of Tears For Slain Teen: 'Too Black' for City to Really Care". The New York Post. Archived from the original on April 3, 2008. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  4. ^ "Body found in bag ID'd as studious B'klyn girl". New York Daily News. June 24, 2006. Archived from the original on 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  5. ^ "Chanel's Parents: Get Her Murderer Visit B'klyn Site Where Daughter Found In Bag". New York Daily News. July 10, 2006. Archived from the original on 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  6. ^ "Urgent Request for Meeting". NAACP. July 7, 2006. Archived from the original on 2006-07-17. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  7. ^ "Reward in Girl's Slay". New York Daily News. New York. July 28, 2006. Archived from the original on 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  8. ^ "Reward Grows For Info In B'klyn Teen Slay". New York Daily News. July 7, 2006. Archived from the original on 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  9. ^ a b Gendar, Alison (August 11, 2006). "Hoping Sneakers Track Killer. Cops show pic of slain B'klyn Girl's footwear; case to be on TV's 'Most Wanted'". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 2008-04-01. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  10. ^ "It's Time To Speak Up". New York Daily News. October 10, 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  11. ^ "Murderer Veron Primus jailed for 34 years". December 20, 2022. Archived from the original on March 18, 2024.
  12. ^ Santore, John V. (16 June 2016). "Man Charged With 2006 Murder of Brooklyn Teen Chanel Petro-Nixon". Patch.com.
  13. ^ "Our War On Murder. NYPD Commish Kelly Tells Of New Crackdown On Killings In The City". New York Daily News. November 20, 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  14. ^ "COP GROUP ASKS IF SLAYS ARE TIED". New York Daily News. November 20, 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  15. ^ "Crime and Justice". Invision Power Board-Crime and Justice. U.S. July 5, 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-14.[permanent dead link]
  16. ^ E. Louis (November 24, 2006). "It's Time To Tame The Beast. Chanel's Killer is still free. There's a spike in Murder. Now, Crown Heights must speak up". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  17. ^ Mascia, Jennifer (November 28, 2006). "The Neediest Cases; After a Daughter's Death, Seeking Answers and the Strength to Go On". The New York Times. Retrieved 2007-11-14.
  18. ^ Grace, Nancy (January 1, 2007). ""Murder of Brooklyn 16-year-old still Unsolved" (NOTE: Rush transcript notice)". CNN. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  19. ^ Louis, Errol (June 24, 2007). "Follow every single lead: 'Runaways' may be murder victims. Cops & neighbors must step it up". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  20. ^ "Rev. Sharpton to Appeal to the Public to not forget two Black Women from Brooklyn: Chanel Petro-Nixon whose murder is unsolved, and Steph Henry who vanished last month". The National Action Network. June 23, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-10-07. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  21. ^ "Chanel Petro-Nixon Murdered". Websleuths. July 31, 2006. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  22. ^ "Annual 'Survivors' Awards Benefit Gala". 4 Real Women International. May 17, 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2007-11-13.
  23. ^ "Rally and Remembrance for Chanel Petro-Nixon". Bed Stuy Blog. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  24. ^ "Help Find Chanel Killer". MySpace.com. Retrieved 2011-03-29.

Further reading

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